This invention relates generally to a work implement mounted on the front of a truck, and more particularly, to a hydraulically powered work implement, such as a post hole digger, supported from the snow plow mounting apparatus.
Work implements, such as a post hole digger or a post driver, are mounted in trucks, tractors or other vehicles for transport from location to location and for connection to a primary source of power, which can be mechanical or hydraulic. Some such implements have their own mounting frame and supporting framework, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,471, issued on Oct. 9, 1990, but do not adequately re-configure into a compact transport position to permit the mounting thereof at the front of a vehicle for a rapid and safe transport of such mechanisms over the highway.
Other known post hole digger mechanisms, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,710,875, issued on Jan. 16, 1973; U.S. Pat. No. 3,700,045, issued on Oct. 24, 1972; and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,789,931, issued on Feb. 5, 1974, are centrally located at the rear a tractor and mounted to the three-point hitch structure or at the front of the tractor and supported on a specialty frame. Such tractor mounted work implements are not movable into a compact transport position and are, therefore, also not intended for rapid transport over the highways, as is necessary if mounted on a truck. Furthermore, such three-point mounted work implements have a limited range of operation. The implement must be located over the site to be operated by manipulating the position of the tractor, which is further exacerbated by the mounting of the work implement at the rear of the vehicle.
The operative range through which the work implement can be employed without relocating the vehicle to which the implement is attached is improved by specialty mounting mechanisms, such as shown .and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,124, issued on Dec. 28, 1993; in U.S. Pat. No. 3,754,604, issued on Aug. 28, 1973; and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,314, issued on Sep. 9, 1986. Such specialty mounting mechanisms do not provide the flexibility of easy and convenient detachment when the work implement is not needed and the vehicle is desired for use in some other operation. Furthermore, the transport configuration of the specialty mounting mechanisms are not very compact and, therefore, are placed at positions other than the front of the vehicle.
Other work implements, such as that shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,610, issued on Nov. 13, 1973, and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,240,278, issued on Mar. 15, 1966, provide a wide range of operation for the work implement, but are clearly not intended for placement into a compact transport configuration or for rapid transport over the highway with the mounting thereof on a truck.
It would be desirable to provide a framework for the mounting of a work implement, such as a post hole digger, that can be mounted on the front of a truck, utilizing the standard mounting apparatus for a snow plow, yet provide a range of operation for utilization of the work implement while providing for a compact transport configuration to enable the work implement and supporting framework to remain mounted at the front of the truck for rapid transport over the highway.